The Brain Metastasis of a Large-Cell Neuroendocrine Thymic Cancer: a Case Report

Czech version

Authors: T. Zeman ¹; J. Chrastina ¹; Z. Novák ¹; I. Zichová. ²; J. Hemza ¹
Authors‘ workplace: Neurochirurgická klinika FN U sv. Anny, Brno ¹; Patologicko-anatomický ústav FN U sv. Anny, Brno ²
Published in: Cesk Slov Neurol N 2007; 70/103(3): 332-335
Category: Case Report

Overview

The paper reports on an exceptional case of a patient with the brain metastasis of large-cell neuroendocrine thymic cancer. A 61-year-old female was admitted for gradually progressive leftsided hemiparesis with subsequent deterioration of consciousness, two years after a surgery for thymic cancer. The initial CT scan was described as the brain tumor with infiltrative growth, however, MRI has shown a well-demarcated tumor. The patient was admitted to the neurosurgical department for emergency surgery to treat the decompensation of intracranial hypertenzion. The comparison of tissue samples from the resected tumor with the primary thymic cancer supported by repeated morphological and immunohistochemical evaluation showed a large-cell neuroendocrine thymic tumor affecting both surgical sites. The paper points to the rare etiology of an intracerebral lesion, remarkably a long interval between primary surgery for thymic tumor and clinical manifestations of the brain metastatic lesion as well to the excellent clinical course after surgery. Czech literature gives no report of the brain metastasis of neuroendocrine thymic tumor, and only 4 similar cases have been found in the available literature.

Key words:
thymus – neuroendocrine cancer – brain metastasis

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